The Gettysburg Foundation is honored to have been recognized during the Pennsylvania Governor’s Occupational Safety & Health 98 Annual Conference luncheon Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, for earning a Governor’s Award for Safety Excellence. Gettysburg Foundation leaders in the areas of facilities management, custodial services and security, all involved with implementing strategic safety initiatives, attended the conference and luncheon on behalf of the Foundation.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry commended the Gettysburg Foundation for its efforts to protect workers and prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, helping to make not only the organization but also Pennsylvania a much safer place in which to work. The Governor’s Award for Safety Excellence Review Committee was impressed with the implementation of a well-labeled evacuation route for employees separate from public evacuation routes, as well as the collaboration and cooperation among the Foundation’s entities in establishing a strong, proactive safety culture that has sustained a zero-incident rate for more than three years.
The Governor’s Safety & Health Conference and its series of workshops have been educational resources in empowering safety professionals, employers, and employees who attend to learn, find solutions, and network on making Pennsylvania a safer place to work through the resources provided. The Governor’s Award for Safety Excellence recognizes outstanding workplace safety programs and superior management or employee collaborations that make programs providing a safe work environment for Pennsylvania workers successful. The Governor’s Award for Safety Excellence Review Committee conducts initial reviews of nominated Pennsylvania employers to determine semi-finalists. The committee considers numerous information and criteria, such as injuries/illness rates, workers’ compensation costs reduction, safety program innovation, strategic development of safety policy/approaches, joint safety program in place, and cooperative labor/management effort/teamwork. The committee conducts virtual reviews, determines employers eligible for an on-site review, and reports award recommendations to the Secretary of Labor & Industry for final determination. Valuable best practices from winning finalists are shared across the state.
“We are continually grateful to our partners for helping prioritize safety in the workplace and in our venues that are open to the public. Our partners have been instrumental in helping make this recognition possible: National Park Service, Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site; Licensed Battlefield Guides; Event Network; Battlegrounds Hospitality; Schaad Detective Agency; and National Park Service and Gettysburg Foundation volunteers,” said Gettysburg Foundation Vice President of Facilities Brian Shaffer.
The Gettysburg Foundation’s Safety Committee conducts scheduled on-site reviews, strategically implements safety protocols and meets monthly to discuss safety topics for its workplace, as well as its venues open to the public: Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center; the historic George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital; Children of Gettysburg 1863® at the historic Rupp House; Ticket to the Past–Unforgettable Journeys in the historic Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station. The Foundation’s Safety Committee reports and reviews any incidents, accidents or near miss incidents/accidents, makes safety and health observations and attends specialized training as part of its safety strategy.
The Gettysburg Foundation looks forward to the official award presentation on-site at its workplace on a date to be determined, which will provide Foundation employees the opportunity to be recognized for their safety efforts and achievement of this prestigious award.
Source: Gettysburg Foundation